h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

With the CRATE example, a longer word does exist that starts with these letters so why would a point be lost? Or is it just the first recognised word?

When I've played a similar game (we used DONKEY), we say 'continuing' to indicate that we were thinking of a longer word. I wouldn't like to say whether this is part of official rules...

The object of the game is to add letters without finishing a word.

Exactly. If you give a letter that makes a real word of 3 letters or more you lose, if the others notice it. It's interesting how many words are finished when someone it thinking of a much longer one.

A tactic is to think of an adjective when a noun is about to be finished.
E.G.
A says "T"
B says "E"
C Says "L"
A says "E"
B says "S"
C Says "C"
A says "O"
B says "P"
C If they say "E" they lose by finishing the word TELESCOPE but if they say "I" they force the next player into challenging them or into saying "C" and finishing the word TELESCOPIC.